Morro's Path - Redemption
by rideofthevalkyrjur
Summary: At the moment of Morro's triumph, Lloyd confronts him about what he saw during his possession. Morro realizes some things about himself that he had long since forgotten. Suddenly, his quest for domination doesn't seem as right as he'd thought, and he is left with no idea what to do. Book Two of the Morro's Path Series.
1. Chapter 1: The Gathering Storm

**Fandom** \- Ninjago

 **Summary** \- Sequel to "Corruption." At the moment of Morro's triumph, Lloyd confronts him about what he saw during his possession. Morro realizes some things about himself that he had long since forgotten. Suddenly, his quest for domination doesn't seem as right as he'd thought, and he is left with no idea what to do.

 **Rating** \- K+ for some violence. No sex, no swearing.

 **Characters** \- Morro, Lloyd, Garmadon, the Ninja, the Preeminent, Bansha, Soul Archer, other Ghosts.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE - The first two chapters are basically a rewrite of Curseworld, part 1. It just seemed like it would be easier to start there than just where the AU diverges. This is also likely to be a shorter story than _Corruption_ was, though its sequels will be far longer.**

 **-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 ** _THE GATHERING STORM_**

It was time. The city of Stiix was crawling with ghosts, and ghostly dragons flew high above it, keeping a watchful eye on all entranceways. There was no way the ninja would be able to get inside without being spotted.

Morro waited on the top of the old pawnshop. Beneath him was a swirling portal that was continuing to strengthen, tearing apart the fabric between realms. Soon the Preeminent would cross over, and then there would be no stopping her—soon his revenge would be complete. A grin stretched across his features. For Wu to have to admit that he had failed... To watch his realm being destroyed, and the other fourteen to follow... It would be perfect. Just perfect.

Bansha was right. Morro would be invincible, but only once all of that had happened. He had to keep the ninja away, still, just long enough for the Preeminent to cross over. If he knew anything about ninja, it was that they wouldn't simply sit by and let him finish his job. No, they'd be coming here to try to stop him. But he wouldn't let them do that.

He glanced towards his generals. "I want you to keep patrolling," he stated firmly. "Immediately alert me to any sign of the ninja. Or anything at all that looks the slightest bit suspicious."

He couldn't let anything happen now. Despite being so close to triumph, Morro was tense and agitated. He'd come too far to fail, and he wouldn't rest easily until it had all been finished.

The ghosts nodded, leaving the base, and Morro himself descended to the main room. The portal was surging, widening... but it would still be a little while before it was strong enough for the Preeminent to come to Ninjago. Morro tightened his fists. If only it could happen now... then there would be no chance. No more ghosts came through now—it seemed that most, if not all of them, had taken up positions in the city. Most were revelling, rather than guarding. But it made sense—they'd finally been freed from the Cursed Realm. Still, was it not just a little distracting?

No matter. There was no way that the ninja could make it past his guard. Morro would make absolutely sure of that.

He had begun to climb back to his vantage point when he heard Bansha's voice in his mind.

 _Wu has been spotted driving one of the food trucks,_ she told him. Morro's eyes went wide and he began to run toward the bridge. He paused next to Bansha, looking up at the ghost dragons as they circled above. He glanced toward her.

"He's probably bringing the ninja with him," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "We'll have to stop them."

Bansha nodded, and Morro smirked a bit. "Let me possess you... I want to see this, but I'd rather the ninja not know that I'm away from the Realm Crystal." He wanted to see Wu's face as he was captured and dragged away, useless and unable to help, and as the ninja were locked up with him, to watch them fail for once and for all. But just in case they had some sort of trick up their sleeve, Morro would rather not show them that the crystal was unguarded—as unguarded as it could be in a city full of ghosts.

It was no trouble for the other ghost to agree—especially seeing as Morro was her superior—and he quickly took over her body, taking care to keep her appearance and voice unaltered. The trucks approached, and Morro carefully began to wave them through the gates. At a cry from above, his gaze flickered up at one of the dragons before it returned to the line of vehicles. The next truck was being driven by an all-too-familiar set of faces. Just Wu and the woman, though... Lloyd's mother. The ninja must be in the back.

Morro halted the truck, floating in front of it. "Wu..." he smirked, in Bansha's voice. "A special delivery, I presume?" With a brief nod to the few ghosts surrounding him, he backed away a few feet, though he remained in front of the vehicle. They surrounded the truck, and opened the back.

"Nothing!"

Morro was surprised, and looked to Wu in suspicion as his former Sensei opened the door and climbed out of the truck. "Let me talk to my pupil," he stated, the pacifism in his voice grating on Morro's nerves—how dare he still refer to him that way? "It doesn't have to end this way."

If Wu wanted to talk, then Morro would give him what he wanted. Quickly, he shifted Bansha's appearance.

"Sensei!" his voice was laced with bitterness and false hospitality. "I was wondering when you were going to show up..."

Wu looked shocked, eyes widening, and then narrowing once again. "Morro!"

He smirked. "You think I'm just going to let you stroll right in? Your wisdom fails you in your old age."

The old man took a few steps toward him, and Morro just narrowed his eyes a little. "Last chance, Morro," Wu spoke firmly, almost like he was reprimanding his former student—how cute. "You may no longer be my pupil, but I can still teach you a lesson. My ninja are well trained, and they will defeat every last one of you. Give up now, or forever rest in peace."

Morro narrowed his eyes, fists clenching a little bit. How dare he? He was the best ninja that had ever existed, better than Lloyd, better than anyone! Wu honestly thought that he'd give up from that threat? He'd fought the ninja before and won. And it was all Wu's fault that he couldn't rest in peace. It was Wu's fault that he was dead now! He gestured with Bansha's hand. "Take them," he spat, and the ghosts came up and grabbed the two of them. Morro lowered down to Wu's level. "You think I would ever let the ninja into my town?" he asked, gritting his teeth. "Foolish old man!"

With that, he spun around and returned to the base. There, he left Bansha's body. The female ghost stumbled forward, rubbing her head. "You cannot let your guard down, Morro," she advised. "You have captured Wu, but no doubt the ninja are not far behind."

Morro frowned deeply, anger settling within him. "I know. But we'll catch them before they get too far. Besides... I'm protecting the Realm Crystal. There's no way they'll be able to get through me. Especially since I have the sword."

He drew the Sword of Sanctuary, grinning as he peered briefly into its reflection. Nothing. For now he was safe. He cast a glance up at the portal—it was even stronger. It shouldn't be more than a few minutes now... and maybe if he was lucky, the ninja would be able to have a front row seat to watch their realm fall.

Maybe he shouldn't have been so confident in the abilities of the ghosts to keep out intruders. After all, hadn't he had to do most things all on his own throughout this entire mission? They'd failed at almost anything. Nonetheless, he startled in surprise as he heard a screech from one of the dragons. No! That meant one thing—the ninja had begun to attack. Morro quickly looked at the sword—but there was nothing. He gripped its hilt tightly. "Come on!" he snapped. "They got in!" Irritation was evident in his tone—but he had every right to it. How could they have failed him like that? He had an entire realm devoted to keeping them out, and they'd let them in! Stupid ghosts.

Morro's generals followed him just outside, and he looked around—no ninja. A frown creased his expression until he caught a flash of green. Lloyd! He spun to face Soul Archer. "Stop him!" he ordered. The archer floated off to do as he was asked, and Morro looked to the other three. "Come on, we've got to make sure he doesn't get away."

He started off at a slight jog through the streets, watching Soul Archer from a distance. Lloyd dared to try to come in here and steal the realm crystal? He was a fool! Morro came to a halt as he rounded the corner, and a grin spread across his face as he saw Lloyd cornered, facing an arrow of the archer's. He gave a slight chuckle, drawing the sword of sanctuary and starting toward him with a nod toward his generals.

"The green ninja," he taunted, coming up behind Lloyd as the other ghosts began to surround him. "So rude... hasn't anyone told you it's not polite to be late to the party?" The tip of the sword was placed on Lloyd's chest as he caught a sight of the ninja's frightened expression. He tilted his head to one side. "Bring him back to the base," he smirked.

Satisfied that the green ninja was securely in Wrayth and Ghoultar's clutches, Morro turned, heading back toward the old shop. Outside, he stopped and turned. A few more curious ghouls had made their way over, just to watch and see what had happened. Morro grinned as Ghoultar shoved Lloyd down onto the wooden planks. His fingers gripped the sword. All their plans... They'd tried to have Wu distract them—that must have been what they were doing—so that Lloyd could come and steal the realm crystal to get revenge. Well, they were wrong. This was _Morro's_ time for revenge, not Lloyd's. Now it was time for the green ninja to know that, and all his annoying friends.

Bansha walked up, stopping next to the fallen Lloyd. "Now that we've got him, what do you want us to do with him?" she asked, gesturing toward him.

Morro took one step towards Lloyd, sword still in hand. "Surely it's not just you," he stated, watching him closely. "I know your ninja are never far." Lloyd looked up at him and narrowed his eyes, and Morro's own gaze darted about for any sign of his friends, lurking in the shadows.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are... I have your _beloved_ green ninja!"he teased. They'd been so keen to get Lloyd back last time, surely they'd be the same way now.

Morro's fist tightened around the hilt of his sword. This stupid weakling... he actually thought he stood a chance against Morro? The wind master had trained for years for this, and Lloyd had never even known he'd existed. "You think you can come into _my_ home, and steal the crystal I rightfully earned?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "You think I'll just hand it to you, just like the green gi was handed to you?"

Even now, looking at another person wearing what he should have worn filled him with rage... Lloyd had never bested him, he was better than Lloyd! He should have it. He had earned it, Lloyd had done nothing to deserve to wear it! He reached forward, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him a little. "Tell me - tell all of us that I'm better than you!"he hissed, shoving him back down. "Then I'll let you go."

No reply, just a glare from the green ninja's eyes, the only visible part of his face. They looked a little bit off, but... things were different in this lighting. And Morro hadn't seen Lloyd's face much.

"What's the matter?" he asked, gripping Lloyd's hood. "Cat got your tongue?" He pulled it free, and then gasped, jumping back. It wasn't Lloyd's face that glared back at him, but the girl—Nya! What... what was she doing here?

Morro stepped back, staring, as she jumped up to her feet.

"Sorry, I couldn't hear you... I'm still a little... wet behind the ears," she grinned, and in her hand there suddenly formed a sphere of...

"She's a water ninja..." Morro's heart plummeted and once again he gripped the hilt of the Sword of Sanctuary. "She's—protect the Realm Crystal!"


	2. Chapter 2: The Crisis

**CHAPTER TWO**

 ** _THE CRISIS_**

Once again, Morro should have known he wouldn't be able to rely on the ghosts around him. Nya's powers were the very last thing he needed, and evidently his army had the stupid idea of closing in on the water ninja as close as they could. It only took a few seconds for every last one of them to be wiped out by the deadly spray. Morro was the only one left.

And he didn't plan on going the same way they did. Once the other ghosts were cleared, Nya turned to him, lifting her hands and creating a massive sphere. Morro glanced at the sword just before she threw it, and lifted one arm, creating a shield of wind gusts and holding it in place. He looked past the water toward the newest ninja—she wasn't nearly trained well enough for this. Morro shouldn't have much of a problem at all. The water fell to the decks with a splash and Morro jumped over it, airborne, sending a strong, steady stream of air toward her, effectively shoving her backwards. Morro watched Nya tumble over the deck, but the girl was on her feet shortly.

Stupid ninja... they never knew when to give up. Morro floated upward, avoiding or stopping jets of water that flew his way, a small tornado surrounding him. Nya was beginning to get frustrated, and Morro couldn't help but grin at that. He knew from his earliest lessons that a ninja's greatest weakness was frustration. The girl sent jet after jet flying toward him, each of which was easily avoided. Morro stretched his fingers. The air morphed around him, funnelling toward the water ninja and striking her in the stomach and beneath the feet. Once again, she went flying, hitting the wall of the pawnshop. Morro's smile broadened as he saw that the ghosts she'd destroyed had already returned and were cornering her.

It was now that the rest of the ninja chose to arrive. They came in a flurry of vehicles and elemental powers, and Morro quickly darted back up to the roof of the pawnshop to see what was happening—his ghosts could take care of Nya.

Yes... he saw them, driving their fancy cars all over the city, scooping up and destroying ghosts by the scores. They came back, yes, but still... Morro grit his teeth as he caught sight of an explosion. He quickly turned to his generals, who were waiting nearby. "The ninja are _winning!_ He snapped at them. "Get out there and stop them!"

Morro needed to stay here... he had to protect the Realm Crystal, to let the Preeminent cross over safely. That was all that mattered. If she crossed over, he didn't need to worry about the ninja. They'd get taken care of, just like the rest of Ninjago.

Nya continued to fight the ghosts... which kept coming back. Morro watched all of it from his vantage point, and he himself was getting frustrated—the idiots! Why didn't they even try to avoid the water? He pushed his hands forward, making the air ripple about her, knocking her to the ground as more ghosts began to surround the water ninja.

And suddenly, they were everywhere. Morro couldn't look anywhere without seeing a ninja or a ninja's work. What was happening? His eyes widened, and he spun around. It was by chance that a look at the sword of sanctuary happened to show him Nya's attack, and he managed to duck out of the way of being splashed as the water ninja jumped onto the roof. Morro narrowed his eyes and put the sword on his back—using both hands to use his powers would be far better now.

He sent a few gusts her way, then flipped and darted and danced around the splashes of water. Unlike her, he couldn't afford to have a hit landed on him. Having to get all the way to the portal from where he'd arrived in the Cursed Realm... Morro couldn't afford the possibility of the Realm Crystal being taken. He shot a few more gusts toward her and finally knocked Nya from the roof.

"Is that all? Is that all you've got?" he taunted, standing on top of the roof with his hands curled into fists at his sides. Nya was stunned by the fall, and Morro watched as the ghosts closed in on her—this time, she wasn't using her powers. And then, suddenly, there was a surge of energy and they all vanished.

"Hey!" an all-too familiar voice shouted, and a second later Morro found himself tumbling backwards up the roof, scrambling to his feet to see Lloyd standing on the edge. "Looks like this is just between us."

Morro gripped his mask, holding it out. "The green gi belongs to me now!" he hissed, watching as the green ninja—soon to be _former_ green ninja—formed his orbs of energy. He chuckled. "You think I'm going to make this easy? Let's see how good you are!"

Lloyd launched his projectiles, and Morro jumped and twisted to avoid them. They flew harmlessly past. He drew the sword with one hand and sent a gust of wind towards Lloyd with the other. The ninja held his ground, though he was pushed back, and sent another orb flying towards Morro. The master of wind brought up the sword, and it reflected off, pushing Lloyd off the roof.

As the green ninja tumbled to the ground, Morro felt the structure beneath him beginning to waver, the boards creaking, and it began to float... yes! The Preeminent was coming! The portal was strong enough! But now... Morro needed the satisfaction of defeating the green ninja for once and for all. As the shop began to rise above the wooden streets, he stepped to the edge of the roof. "I'm stronger, Lloyd! I always have been! And I've been inside your head, I know what you're afraid of! You could never do it alone, could you?" he asked, gesturing down at him. "Weak! You need others, but I... I need no one!"

The building rose higher, loose boards beginning to swirl around Morro in a vortex. The portal was reaching its peak; it was almost time. Lloyd took a few steps back, watching in horror. Morro's eyes narrowed. "What are you waiting for, Lloyd, an invitation?" he spat. "If you want the Realm Crystal, earn it!" Like he'd never earned the green gi, or the title. Lloyd couldn't do it. He didn't know what it was like to actually have to train for something.

It seemed like this got his attention. Lloyd began to jump from one flying board to another, trying to make it back up to where Morro—and the Realm Crystal—were. Morro watched him closely, ready to fight back, to make it hard, to make it impossible—Lloyd could never win. He was never going to be good enough. Morro would be the green ninja before the next morning. He'd make sure of that!

"I did learn a thing or two with you in my head," Lloyd shouted, jumping up and spinning, using airjitzu to try to reach him. Morro sent another gust of wind toward him, breaking the vortex and sending Lloyd spinning backwards with a cry as he began to plummet, barely catching himself on a board. He hung there for a while before he once again started the climb upward.

"Watch your step... the fall can be a doozy!" Morro shouted, blowing the boards aside as Lloyd made to land on them. He drew the sword, glancing into its reflection to see where Lloyd would go next, and then he grinned, blowing that one away. Lloyd fell, tumbling through the air to catch a board far beneath them.

"What's wrong, too hard for you?" Morro watched him as he struggled up to his feet, once again using airjitzu. But this time, he caught the edge of the door, hanging on by just a few fingers. Morro could see him panting—he was still recovering, he was weakening and tiring fast. He could barely hold on... now was his chance. Morro could send him falling to his death, defeating him once and for all, taking the title as his own. Then the Preeminent would arrive. His revenge would be complete—on Wu, on the ninja, on Ninjago itself. He approached the edge of the roof and held up the sword. "This is the end of the line for you, Lloyd," he grinned. "I'll miss you!"

Just as he was about to strike the door loose, he heard a whirring sound from above to see that thief Ronin's airship circling above.

"Better late than never! I saved up a lot for this moment!" the man shouted. And suddenly, thousands of coins began to fall from the sky. Morro gave a cry, instinctively ducking his head even though he knew they wouldn't hurt him. The air around him was filled with the tiny, flying discs, and the clatter of metal filled his ears. He shut his eyes as their weight began to drive the shop back towards the ground. The air whistled past him, and he finally looked up just as it smashed into the decks. Morro jumped up, eyes wide. There was no sign of Lloyd...

No! He'd gotten inside. Without waiting another second, Morro had phased through the roof, landing inside. Lloyd already had the Realm Crystal in his hands. A glowing orb of energy surrounded it. Morro was horrified. No! He couldn't destroy it now! Not while Morro was so close to completing everything he'd set out to do.

He ran forward. "Stop!" he yelled, stopping a few feet from Lloyd. The orb dissipated, and Lloyd turned to stare at him, expression hard.

Morro let his desperation show on his face and in his voice. "Please... don't!" he begged, taking one step forward, reaching toward the Crystal.

Lloyd narrowed his eyes once more. "This isn't your world anymore, Morro. You had your chance. The Realm Crystal must be destroyed!" he proclaimed, slowly backing away from Morro as the ghost continued moving towards him. "The First Spinjitzu Master never wanted us to have it!"

No... it couldn't be... And Morro knew just how he'd stop him from doing it. He knew just the card to play... the one that would break Lloyd's resolve.

"But... but if you destroy it... you destroy any chance of ever saving your father!" he cried, eyes widening.

Lloyd hesitated... yes... this was perfect... it was working just as he'd expected. Now all Morro had to do was stall for long enough to let the Preeminent cross...

What he hadn't expected was for Lloyd to drop the crystal and launch himself toward Morro, pinning his back against the wall but holding him firmly there, so he couldn't phase through it. Morro gasped, his eyes going wide at the utter fury in Lloyd's expression. But he didn't expect what Lloyd was about to say either.

"Stop lying!" the green ninja spat. "Stop pretending to be something you're not! You might have seen inside my head, but I've seen inside yours too! You _are_ afraid! You're afraid that you'll never be anything more than the little boy you used to be. You're afraid of being beaten. You're afraid of losing. You cover it up with your taunts and your jeers, with your smirks and your lies, but I can see through it, because I've seen what's inside. You think that you have to be the green ninja to ever be someone special, but that's just a lie you're telling yourself! You could still be someone special. It's not the color of the gi, or your powers, or who you answer to. You want revenge, you want to destroy ninjago, but you want to do that because people have hurt you! Morro, stop this now! You don't have to be the green ninja. Let me destroy the Realm Crystal, stop it before it's too late!"

Morro's eyes were wide. Lloyd's words stung him like a thousand drops of rain. But before he could so much as think of a response, a tentacle lashed through the portal, gripping Lloyd's leg and pulling him back. Morro fell to the ground, gasping as Lloyd began to struggle. He stared at him for a moment.

"Morro!" Lloyd yelled, "Please, help me! You don't have to do this! You can still be a ninja, you can still be someone great!"

But it was too late. He was being pulled into the portal. Morro staggered upright, breaking into a shaky run. And then, the green ninja vanished.

As the city began to collapse around him, Morro's entire world did the same. The transition was complete, the Preeminent was crossing over. It was too late to change anything, and yet, Morro's transition had just begun.


	3. Chapter 3: The Traitor

**CHAPTER THREE**

 ** _THE TRAITOR_**

The world was engulfed in a swirl of bright blue as the gateway opened. The Preeminent was arriving, but suddenly, Morro was terrified. He remained where he was, shocked, staring at the place where Lloyd had vanished. He didn't know what to think, what to do... Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash... the Realm Crystal. It was still lying on the floor where Lloyd had dropped it. Without thinking, Morro darted towards it tumbling and catching it between his hands. Then he shut his eyes as another burst came through. The boards began to creak and break apart as the portal widened.

Morro ran. He ran right through the wall, carrying the Crystal with him. He ran across the planks, down the narrow streets, between the buildings. He was consumed with an utter necessity to get as far from the Preeminent as he could, as far from Stiix...

Finally, he stopped at the edge of the water, turning back to see what was happening. He climbed up to the nearest roof, shaking all over, clutching the Crystal as if his life depended on it—as if he had a life to depend upon it. What he saw chilled him. For the first time, Morro was able to see the Preeminent in her true form. He'd seen her manifestation, but this was different. This was far more... massive. She took up a massive chunk of the city, a huge sphere of tentacles surrounding what seemed like a large, green-glowing eye that scores of ghosts issued forth from. Dread knotted deep within him. The city was half destroyed just by her arrival. Morro felt a lump in his throat and he looked away, ducking behind the roof's chimney. Still holding the Realm Crystal, he curled his knees against his chest and stared off over the foggy waters surrounding him.

 _You're afraid that you'll never be any more than the little boy you used to be._

 _You cover it up with your taunts and your jeers... but I can see through it, because I've seen what's inside._

 _You don't have to do this._

Morro buried his face in his knees, shaking violently. What was going on? What was Lloyd talking about? Why had he...

There was a burning sensation on his cheeks—tears. Morro hadn't felt them for awhile now. He gripped his knees more tightly. He'd waited for so long for this moment, but now that it was here... He didn't feel like the green ninja. He felt like garbage. The screams of terrified villagers rose up from the crowded city, and he tried to shut them out. Bringing his hands up to his ears, he lost his grip on the Realm Crystal, and it began to clatter down the roof.

Morro gasped, jumping up and running after it, barely catching it just as it skittered off the edge of the roof. It glimmered and shone, a bright spot in the dim, haunting city. Morro hung there for a few moments, staring at it, and then scrambled upright, looking out over the city.

A fog had moved in from the sea. It hung low, reflecting the dull green lights that hung around the city, shifting between the buildings, making them seem shapeless and ever-shifting, like mirages, like the landscape of the Cursed Realm itself. Far across them all, the Preeminent rose up like a great ominous cloud of tentacles, surrounded by a perpetual green glow of thousands of ghosts. They were swarming the city. They were everywhere, even around where Morro himself was.

This was what he'd trained for for so long. And it was... horrifying.

There was no other word that Morro could find to put on it. It so closely resembled the Cursed Realm—he hated the Cursed Realm. He remembered his joy when he'd first left it. When he'd first see sunlight and color and smelled flowers and heard the birds chirping. If this went on, as he'd meant to let it at first, all of that would go away. It would all become that bleak landscape of dull, dead greens and blacks and purples.

And still, the Preeminent thrashed about, the ghosts swarmed over the city. A few flecks of bright color could be seen—the remaining ninja, fighting for their lives, desperately trying to stop what could not be stopped. They couldn't fight an entire realm. They couldn't fight the Preeminent. No one could—Morro knew that personally. He slumped back down against the chimney, staring at the grim destruction. He'd caused it. Every last ounce of triumph had vanished from him. Only now when it was too late did he realize what he should have realized long ago—that he didn't want any of this.

Morro tucked the Realm Crystal against his chest, curling up on the ridgepole, leaning against the chimney. They would lose. They might have defeated him, but there was no way that the ninja could defeat the Preeminent. It was over. Besides, even if there was a chance... what could Morro do? What did he _want_ to do?

He wanted to be the green ninja. He wanted to be special. And yet he wanted to believe what Lloyd had said. He wanted to believe that he didn't need to wear the green gi to be someone special. The Preeminent had promised that he would be the green ninja. But would she keep her promise? Now she was free to do as she pleased... looking out at the massive foe across the city, Morro wondered whether or not she cared at all about the small ghost that stood on the rooftop as far from her as he could get. She hadn't even tried to contact him.

Morro's grip on the crystal tightened. He hated just standing here, watching. But there was no alternative. Even if he helped the ninja, they would never accept him. And he didn't want to aid the Preeminent. Once, he had, but no more.

He had never wanted Ninjago to be destroyed. As that thought came to his mind, his eyes grew wide. It had never been what he'd wanted. All he'd wanted was to show Wu that he was strong enough, good enough, to be the green ninja. He'd wanted to find the tomb—he'd wanted to do the impossible. Because doing the impossible would make Wu see that he had more potential, potential to be something outside of the ordinary.

He thought back to his time in the Cursed Realm. To the Preeminent's whispers in his mind. To the way she'd wrapped her tentacles around him and drained the life force from him for the sheer fun of it. To how she'd convinced him that all of this was really what he wanted, that he needed to get his revenge on everyone that had ever harmed him.

She'd told him that no one in this world would ever love him, that no one had ever cared about him, that he'd never have been more than garbage. And yet he'd never felt like lower scum than now, as the Supreme General of the Cursed Realm. Remorse was an emotion that Morro was not familiar with, as was regret. They came as a shock, like a blade piercing through him, numbing him, taking away his ability to walk or to clearly think. He leaned his head against the chimney next to him.

And then, just as suddenly as anything else these past few moments—had it really only been a few moments? It seemed like a lifetime already since Morro had fought Lloyd on the floating pawnshop—Morro knew exactly what to do. Acting on pure impulse and trusting it for lack of a better plan, he jumped upright and started running back, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, still carrying the Realm Crystal beneath one arm as he ran. His feet made no sound as he made his leaps and bounds across the city. Screams rose up all around him as the terrified villagers tried to get cover. Three times, Morro desperately dodged the Preeminent's tentacles. Even though she hadn't spoken in his mind, it seemed that she'd decided that he was no longer a friend.

He skidded to a stop just before one of them smashed into the roof right above him. Gasping, Morro summoned one blade, slicing at it and continuing to run. Once, he was nearly caught, but he dropped to the plank decking and went on his way. They had to be close...

When he reached the cages that the prisoners had been kept in, they were empty. Wu had already broken out. Morro swallowed hard and turned, running once more and climbing back to the rooftops. Where would they have gone?

The sound of a boat's engine and whistle made his head jerk to one side. The paddle steamer was leaving the docks... of course! An evacuation! Morro took in a breath and ran toward it, still dodging tentacles that were intent on snatching him up and dragging him down, or in, or whatever they meant to do with him. All Morro knew was that he couldn't let the Preeminent catch him. He had no idea what would happen... and he couldn't go yet.

He caught a glimpse of the bright red paddle on the steamer. It wasn't moving yet, and the people were still frantically running toward it. Morro put on a burst of speed, clearing a lashing appendage and rolling. His grip was tight around the crystal and he was certain that if he weren't a ghost, his hand would have been aching by now. Closer now... just five more roofs. Four, three, two, one, and he was right above the loading dock. There was a familiar golden hat—Wu. Morro took a shaky breath and then jumped down, landing nearby.

At the sight of the ghost, those around him screamed, scattering. Morro's eyes were wide and wild, his expression nothing short of utterly stunned and terrified, and the Realm Crystal firmly caught in his grip.

"Morro!" Wu narrowed his eyes, bracing himself against his staff and making a charge at him. Morro didn't move. He simply let both the staff and his former Sensei pass through him. Once again, an excessive weakness overtook him. The world began to spin. Morro sank to his knees on the deck of the ship. He felt lightheaded, and once again his cheeks were burning. His entire body was shaking, as was the crystal in his hand, reflecting light from the sky and fixtures onto the surfaces in a pale waver. He expected it to be snatched away, but Wu had halted, simply staring at Morro as the ghost found himself unable to move, unable to speak, unable to do anything but stay where he was.

Footsteps approached. Morro didn't bother looking up—he knew Wu's footsteps by heart. It was something he would never forget. His Sensei halted just in front of him, still holding his staff protectively. All was silent save the creaking and the groaning, the screaming, the laughter of the ghosts. Neither Wu nor Morro said anything.

Morro's breath hitched. Finally, he spoke up, voice cracking. "I don't know what to do," he choked out, letting his upper body fall forward so his forehead landed against the boards, the Realm Crystal tucked beneath him. "I don't want this... I don't want it. I never have, but I thought I did... So I did it to get revenge..." he stammered. "I didn't want revenge. I was angry but I didn't... I never wanted to make people suffer like this. I never wanted to see people running away from me in terror... But I can't stop it now, I can't do anything..."

Wu did not respond for awhile. And then, the approaching footsteps continued, halting next to him. Morro didn't need to be able to feel Wu's hand to know that it had found a place on his shoulder. That was all that he needed to simply dissolve into sobs. He wasn't going to yell at him? To threaten him? To tell him he'd better not be tricking him? To demand that he find Lloyd?

Morro quickly scrambled to his feet. "What... What is wrong with you?!" he cried, wiping tears from his face only to burn his arm. "Why aren't... why aren't you trying to throw me into the ocean after everything I did! There's nothing I can do to change it... nothing I can do to make it better..."

Wu gave him a stern look. "I waited for you to return for years, until I was certain you wouldn't be coming back. But now, if you are returning, why would I ever refuse you? Besides... you are wrong. We may not be able to defeat the Preeminent, but we can do our best. You can do your best to undo the damage you caused—you can put forth a valiant effort into stopping the monstrosity you brought to Ninjago. You can redeem yourself for what you've done."

Morro swallowed. "I... I can never redeem myself," he said bitterly. "But... you're right. I _can_ do whatever I can to at least slow her down."


	4. Chapter 4: A Shifted Allegiance

**REVIEW RESPONSES**

 **TheAmberShadow -** Lloyd is the best cinnamon roll ever. He's not completely forgiven Morro yet, though. As for Wu, well... he kind of feels responsible for how Morro turned out. He's really just super happy that Morro decided to change his path in the end. Plus he's basically the kid's only father he's ever had sooo...

 **Angel Star Ninja -** It truth! He spent enough time in Morro's head to find the root of why he acted how he did. It was sort of a last attempt to change things.

 **FirstFandomFangirl** \- Morro is trying! Not completely there yet, I think the biggest accomplishment is finally actually seeing that the Preeminent is purely evil though instead of being a smol gullible.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 ** _A SHIFTED ALLEGIANCE_**

Morro cast a quick look around him. It was clear that the people on the docks around him were too afraid—he couldn't help them, that would only make things worse. The ninja were nowhere to be found, and they'd probably kill him on sight. There was no way he would make it out of the Preeminent once sent back. He'd have to do something... anything... on his own. That wasn't out of the ordinary, though. Morro was used to being alone, doing things alone, and lacking the support of others.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the Sword of Sanctuary, stuck fast in the planking. Morro quickly darted toward it and pulled the blade free. Just in time, he caught a glimpse of a lashing tentacle in its reflection and spun around, slicing through it. It jerked back, but two replaced the one he'd cut off. Morro swallowed hard... that wouldn't do anything. Wu, Misako, and Ronin were still ushering people onto the boat as it was preparing to leave the dock. Morro saw one of the tentacles curling toward Misako and darted forward, bringing the blade up to slice through it. It was just a temporary fix... but for now, it was what he could do. He could help the people get away safely.

And then, he felt an impact to his back. With a grunt, he tumbled forward, almost losing his grip on the sword and the realm crystal. Luckily, he managed to keep both and scrambled to his feet, spinning around to see Lloyd. His eyes widened. He'd escaped! Morro was almost relieved—he likely would have been relieved had he not been facing a glowing ball of energy.

"Lloyd, stop!" he yelped, quickly ducking and rolling out of the way. The energy hit the supports to an old building, which creaked, shook, and then crashed to the ground. Morro winced a bit, glad no one was inside, and then faced the green ninja. "I'm not attacking!" he exclaimed. "I'm... I'm trying to help!"

Lloyd paused, looking at him in surprise. "Wh-what?" he asked, shocked as Morro spun around, hacking another tentacle away.

The master of wind gave a nod. "Yeah... what you said about me... it was true," he replied. "I'm not... I'm not fighting you anymore. You were right, I was wrong..." He chanced to look back at Lloyd, who seemed indecisive.

The last of the villagers was brought to the boat and it left the docks, leaving just Morro and the ninja behind. The ghost watched Lloyd carefully, almost nervously, still gripping both sword and crystal tightly. He wasn't ready to relinquish them just yet. Finally, Lloyd grit his teeth together and looked away.

"Come on, we need to take out the supports and drop the Preeminent into the sea," he pointed. Then he turned to Morro. "If you're really on our side, you keep her distracted until the job is done. Then get to the boat—you know airjitzu."

Morro gave a quick nod, looking up at his master. No, not his master. She was his former master. He no longer served her. The ninja vanished, leaving Morro alone with the monstrosity. He swallowed, then jumped up to a rooftop, running toward one of the tentacles and hacking at it, then another, jumping from one to another to slice at as many as he could. The Preeminent gave a roar and began to attack. It was working—now the ghosts had mainly paused to watch what Morro was doing, attacking his own realm. He guessed it came as a shock to them.

It could only go well for so long, though. There was a hissing noise, and a tentacle swept him off his feet. Morro gave a cry as he spun through the air, falling and landing on the wooden planks beneath him. Just a few feet away and he would have fallen into the ocean. But he wasn't out of danger. Morro's eyes widened in horror as he saw tens of ghosts approaching, surrounding him and cornering him next to the edge.

And then, all at once they were knocked aside, pushed by a swinging blade as a voice shouted, "I'll deal with him!"

Bansha stood a few yards away, staff drawn. Morro gripped the Sword of Sanctuary more tightly, narrowing his eyes. Of course it had to come to this. Of all of the other ghosts, he had been closest to Bansha, by far. And naturally, he'd have to fight her. Morro said nothing, watching her and keeping an eye on the reflection in the sword. The chaos around them seemed to fade into the background.

"How dare you!" Bansha growled, pointing her blade forward. "After all the Preeminent has done for you, you dare to betray her?" She made to attack, and Morro brought his blade up, blocking her attack. They exchanged a few strokes, and then Morro jumped over her head, getting away from the edge and back onto the safety of the wooden planks.

"All she's done?" he grit his teeth. "She only tried to feed and perpetuate my anger! I was never happy in the Cursed Realm, not really... I've never been happy since I found out about that prophecy!" He gripped the hilt of the sword tightly in one hand, twisting it and driving Bansha's blade into the ground, before jumping up onto an awning. "Even while I was trying to get him killed, to destroy his realm... even after I'd possessed him and used his body to hurt his friends... Lloyd tried to convince me that I didn't need it. And Wu... he forgave me..."

Bansha jumped up after him, growling and attacking with a fury. Morro parried her attacks—he was a superior warrior, but he was still in shock, still trying to make sense of the world. Twice, it was only the sword he held that kept him from being killed then and there. He tightened his grip on the realm crystal—that was one thing he couldn't lose, no matter what.

"You are even weaker than he is!" Bansha snapped. "You think nothing of your loyalty? Were it not for the Preeminent you would have never had the chance to return! You swore an oath of allegiance!"

Morro faltered a little. And that was all Bansha needed. She charged forward, slamming the edge of her staff into his side. Morro grunted, knocked off his feet. He began to tumble along the roof, losing his grip on both sword and crystal. His side ached, and he was glad he wasn't human—he'd have had the wind knocked out of him, and that could be a problem if he'd actually needed to breathe. Still, there was no time to waste—as soon as he'd dropped the crystal, Bansha had started after it. Morro skidded to the edge of the roof, nearly falling off into the water, but managed to get back up. He sent a gale flying towards her, making sure to focus his powers so that they actually affected the other ghost. It worked—Bansha gave a cry and tumbled. Morro darted forward, gripping his side with one arm. Finally, he jumped and caught the Realm Crystal just before it fell off the edge.

As Bansha picked herself up to renew her attacks, the building gave a massive shudder. The female ghost gasped, looking down.

"They're taking out the supports! Protect the Preeminent!" she cried, vanishing. Morro gasped, gripping the crystal tightly. Where was the sword?

No matter. He had to leave now, or else suffer the same fate as his former master. They would find the sword later. He turned and ran, once again jumping along the ridgepoles. The city collapsed around him, and finally he jumped off over the water, keeping himself airborne with a few puffs of wind before using airjitzu to get the rest of the way back to the ship. He landed on the roof, turning to stare with wide eyes at the collapsing city, still clinging to the Realm Crystal.

Panting a bit, and aching where he'd been struck, he stumbled down to the deck. Instantly, the people gasped, backing away from him. Morro's eyes widened, and then he looked away as Wu stepped between the frightened villagers and Morro.

"Don't worry," his former master stated calmly. "Morro is not here to hurt any of you."

Some seemed to calm down, but most weren't convinced. Morro swallowed and stepped away to a corner of the deck. What would he do now? The Preeminent would fall into the sea, the battle would be over, but... and all of a sudden, he stopped thinking about that. The Preeminent had not fallen into the sea. Rather, she'd possessed the entire city and was using it as a platform. Morro gasped, his eyes going wide, and he ran to warn the ninja. But they were already looking at this new monstrosity. Jay spun around to face him frantically.

"If you're on our side now, _do something to stop that!"_ he yelled, and Morro backed away, gaze still locked on the Preeminent.

"I... I can't... I don't know... I have no idea how to defeat her!" he cried.

"Well, she shouldn't be able to reach us—the water will still hurt her, right?"

Morro nodded. "I think so," he replied. "Water hurts ghosts... water hurts the Preeminent if there's enough of it."

Even if she couldn't reach them, that didn't mean she was defeated. There would be nothing that would stop the embodiment of the Cursed Realm. But at least now they could slow her down by keeping her from taking the souls of Stiix's villagers. She would continue to move on, of course, spreading the curse and destruction. But maybe now, Morro could help the Ninja find a way to stop it. If only he'd turned sooner... none of this would have happened. Morro turned back to watch.

A massive foot-like contraption lifted up from the ruined city, and the Preeminent started to move towards the ocean. Morro gripped the railing on the ship, watching as she stepped into the water, and then pulled it back out, a hideous cry escaping her. Relief surged through him as the ninja cheered—she couldn't follow them. The water hurt her.

But his relief was short-lived. It was only a moment before she once again began moving into the water, leaving the ruins of Stiix and coming towards the ship. Morro's eyes widened and he simply stared for a few moments, gripping the railing tightly. Each step covered tens of feet—tens of yards.

He only noticed the ninja looking at him after a few seconds. "I thought you said it would hurt her!" Jay cried. Morro swallowed.

"I didn't know for sure! I guess she's gotten strong enough to endure it!" Or maybe she was soul-leeching the thousands of ghosts for strength, to constantly repair the damage being done as she strode out across the water. Morro shuddered at the thought.

"We need to slow her down," Lloyd spoke above the noise. "Come on, we've got to get out to her."

The ninja jumped off the edge, using airjitzu to cross over, while Nya crossed on jets of water. Morro stayed gripping the edge, debating on whether or not to go join them. A part of him knew that it would be little use—and Morro being close enough could let her soul-leech him, which would only increase his power. Wu walked over to him.

"Morro, stay here," he instructed, confirming Morro's thoughts. "The ninja will do what they can, you do what you can from the ship."

Morro turned and nodded. "Yes, Sensei," he muttered, still carrying the Realm Crystal. He needed to make sure it was kept from the Preeminent. That way, his former master couldn't go to another realm and curse that one. If all else failed, maybe they could begin to move Ninjago's citizens off-realm.

Morro jumped onto the railing, and then up to the roof of the ship, watching as the Preeminent continued to approach. It was as though anything the ninja did was simply being ignored... she continued on as if nothing was happening. The paddle-steamer was moving slowly even at full speed... the Preeminent was approaching...

Five glowing spheres left the towering monstrosity, and the ninja returned to the ship, shaking their heads. It was no use... fighting the Preeminent was impossible. They had to escape. The paddle-steamed gave a sudden lurch forward,

Then, out of nowhere, an entire house came hurtling toward the ship. Morro jumped back as a massive splash rose out of the ocean. The boat floated to a stop. The rudder was gone.


	5. Chapter 5: The Final Wave

**REVIEW RESPONSES**

 **FirstFandomFangirl -** Of course they'll be fine. After Morro suffers of course mwahahaha.

 **TheAmberShadow -** Hahaha yeah, Bansha was mad. Morro thinks of things though, don't worry. As for ghost weapons, I headcanon that they (along with deepstone or small amounts of water) function similar to normal weapons for normal people, except that a mortal wound of any sort will make a ghost vanish. Water's more like corrosive acid on us, but similar concept.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

 ** _THE FINAL WAVE_**

The paddle steamer descended into chaos almost instantly—well, as soon as the people understood the meaning behind the sudden halting and violent rocking. The crowds erupted into shouts, screams, and cries. The Preeminent was approaching fast... but they were almost at the trench. Morro could see the continental shelf dropping off rapidly. Walking contraption or not, the Preeminent wouldn't be able to follow them there. They would be safe, at least for awhile, but only if they could reach the trench. Now, they were sitting ducks, standing in the water, unable to move forward or back because of the lack of the paddle. It floated off into the ocean in a spiral of brilliant red, out of reach and useless, as if taunting them.

He flinched away as a lashing tentacle neared the ship, trying to block out the screams of the terrified villagers on board, covering his ears for a moment. It was too much. He needed to think. They were so close to safety... To have the hope snatched away from them now would be cruel—and Morro knew very well what it felt like to have hope snatched away.

There was still some distance between them and the Preeminent—and the bow of the ship was already hanging over the edge of the shelf, peeping into the calm waters over the trench, slipping into the dense fog beyond. Just a little farther, and they would all be safe.

Then, Morro had a thought. Maybe he could get them there. He stood up tall, stretching his arms out to one side, drawing in currents of air as he whipped up a breeze. It washed in from the sea around them, and Morro leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, pulling it back, pushing the boat forward with the wind.

Slowly, it started to move. Morro felt relief settle over him. They were going to make it... they were going to be alright... he continued to move his arms, pushing and pulling the air, bringing it in spirals around the ship. It was almost agonizingly slow, but they were starting to gain momentum.

The Preeminent would not give up her prize so easily, though—Morro should have expected that. There was a great groaning from the massive abomination, and the screaming continued, the people rushing to the other side of the ship as she reached out to try to grasp it. Morro sucked in breath, trying to increase the strength of the wind that pulled them along. But it wasn't enough. A gnarly pair of tentacles reached out and lashed around the back of the ship. Once again, it eased to a stop. Morro gasped, increasing the force of the wind. He couldn't let them be dragged back... he couldn't let the Preeminent win. He couldn't let this happen.

His eyes burned as he fought, tears beginning to free themselves from his eyes. But his powers weren't strong enough. Now, he was blowing at his full strength, doing all he could against the straining arms that pulled them back. He kept them from being dragged any closer to the Preeminent, but he couldn't loosen her grip in the slightest. Tears left tracks down his cheeks, tracks of raw burns, lacing down under his eyes to his chin. He strained with all his might, the gale whipping up the water behind the ship as he honed the strength of the wind on its hull, trying to push it forward. But it was a stalemate, neither moving on, and neither moving back. And then, the scales tipped.

 _Weak little wind ninja_... the voice that invaded his mind and thoughts was familiar by now, though Morro had relished the lack of hearing it during his time on Ninjago. _You thought you could defy me, but it is too late. I don't need you anymore. Ninjago will be destroyed. It is all your fault._

Morro shut his eyes, trembling. No... were it someone talking to him face to face, it would have been one thing, but this... the Preeminent spoke to him like it was his own thoughts speaking. His powers faltered, and the ship gave a lurch backwards.

 _Oh, why even bother delaying the inevitable? I did to you what Wu never did. I made you supreme general of my realm. I offered you things you would never have, and you betrayed me. I will not let that pass, dear little wind ninja. When you fail, there is nothing anyone can do. You'll come back to my realm, and you will suffer for your treason._

Morro tried hard to keep his composure, but he wasn't managing to do it very well. He was trembling, his winds choking off every now and then. Each time, the paddle-steamer was pulled back towards the monster that wished to consume it before Morro regained control of his own powers. Slowly, they were edging back and back towards her, despite Morro's efforts to keep them away to the best of his ability. He was failing.

 _Weak! Pathetic! Worthless!_ The Preeminent continued to taunt him, using words that she knew struck a chord in him. He faltered even more. _Oath-breaker! Traitor! Liar! Filth!_

With each word his resolve weakened. He tried to resist, but as she went on and on, Morro simply couldn't contain it, he couldn't go on anymore. It was then that his powers cut off completely and he dropped to the deck, sobbing, curling around the Realm Crystal with every bit of strength he had, eyes shut, face burning. Morro felt sick, dread curling up inside of him. He knew what he needed to do, and yet he couldn't—not with that awful voice ringing in his ears.

 _You swore your allegiance to me, and simply cast it aside, you foul traitor! Now you will return home... and you'll see what happens to the traitors of the Cursed Realm!_

The ship began to be pulled back. Morro didn't even try to stop it this time. He lay there, scrunched up, trying to cover his ears while still holding the Realm Crystal. But still, it didn't stop. The taunts, the jeers, the threats. Morro couldn't take it. It began to physically hurt him, along with tiring and exhausting him. Morro shut his eyes tightly as he thought he felt the burn and sizzle, like he was being splashed. It was too much for him. The Preeminent knew all of his weaknesses. She'd been in his head far too deeply, and Morro hadn't been able to stop her. Now it was too much to bear. It was like it was sending stabs of red-hot pain into him, slicing all over his body.

It was just then that Morro suddenly realized that the voices had stopped, and that the stabs of pain weren't in his head—they were real. He sat up, clinging to the crystal, and looked around wide-eyed. Thousands, millions of water droplets were spinning around Nya, who had been enveloped in a massive vortex of spinning water, reaching up from the deck of the ship into the sky. Morro gasped, and, too weak to do much, he tried to shield himself with a whistle of wind.

Behind the Preeminent rose a wall of water. It began as a slight rise in the distance, and then slowly, slowly started to grow, to approach, to move closer like a black wall of doom. It came up behind the Preeminent, and with a rush, it towered above her. The voice was gone. All that was left was an incoherent shrieking from the abomination in front of them. And then, the wave crashed down. It completely covered the Preeminent, washing her under and into the trench, though she still flailed above the water, massive eye-portal pulsing wildly. The wave continued on, and Morro went to grab a hand-hold but was too late. His grip wasn't tight enough, and he toppled backwards off of the roof. All of his effort went to keeping the crystal in his hand, and he couldn't stop himself as he skidded toward the railing, about to plunge into the sea. Then, a solid grip caught his shoulder, bringing him to a stop just before he plummeted. Cole looked down at him as Morro glanced up, panting, eyes wide, expression shocked and yet still a little bit dazed from the Preeminent's bombardment.

"Don't fall off," Cole instructed. "You won't survive." His tone was gentle, goodhearted.

He helped Morro up, and the master of wind stood on shaky legs. Morro looked up at the Master of Earth—the only other ghost no longer with the Preeminent—and tilted his head a little, bending his knees in a slight bow. "Thank... thank you," he murmured softly, uncertain of what to say or do now that Cole had rescued him.

By now, Nya had descended back to the deck, her true potential unlocked and the Preeminent defeated. The monstrosity continued to flail and groan in the waters around the little ship, slipping off the shelf and into the trench, tentacles lashing, but out of reach of the boat. The people hugged each other and cheered, and then Morro caught a glimpse of him.

Lloyd stood next to the railing, standing there and looking out with his head bowed. Suddenly it struck Morro.

Garmadon. Lloyd's father was inside there. He was going to drown, and be gone forever. This victory wouldn't be the same for Lloyd as it would be for everyone else... he was losing someone dear to him for good. Morro didn't quite understand that feeling—it had always been him and him alone—but he knew it had to hurt.

Or maybe... maybe it didn't.

Morro's gaze darted down to the crystal in his hand, and with a quick glance around he caught sight of Ronin. Morro took off running, nearly colliding with the thief, who instantly seemed defensive when confronted. Morro extended a hand.

"I need one of the Aeroblades," he announced. "Don't ask me why. I just need one."

When Ronin hesitated, Morro simply leapt forward and snatched the blade off of Ronin's back. And then he ran to an open area on the deck, lifting the crystal. It reflected the light, one-two-three, and then shone upward. Within seconds, the swirling purple-blue of a portal appeared in the sky.

Morro took a breath. This might be the only way to prove himself, to gain Lloyd's forgiveness—or what little of it Morro could possibly gain. He had to hurry. His survival itself was a gamble as the Preeminent lay drowning in the water. But it was his last chance. Sucking in a deep breath, Morro jumped up into the portal, leaping through, back to the Cursed Realm.


	6. Chapter 6: Race Against the Clock

**REVIEW RESPONSES**

 **Morro and More -** asdfghjkl thanks! I try! I think it may help to have a really clear outline of where it's going, but other than that, just thanks! :P

 **FirstFandomFangirl -** Of course he'll be alright... :3 In the end, of course. And by the end, I mean maybe the end of the sixth book. Maaaaybe.

 **TheAmberShadow -** Yasss we shall see...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **CHAPTER SIX**

 ** _RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK_**

The portal swirled shut as Morro dropped into the Cursed Realm. So far, the water hadn't permeated it in its entirety. Everywhere he looked there was chaos—ghosts were rushing to and fro, terrified of their impending doom. More were appearing all the time and they frantically rushed towards the exit. Morro grit his teeth together and broke into a run, going the opposite direction, clutching the Realm Crystal in one hand and the aeroblade in the other. It was hard. None of the ghosts seemed to notice him as he ran against them, fighting to go deeper into the depths of the Cursed Realm. He knew that Garmadon would be as deep down as possible. But Morro could barely move forward, and he only had a limited amount of time to finish this.

Finally, he leapt upward, flipping once and proceeding to leap from the heads of the ghosts to move forward. It was much faster this way, but it was still a gamble whether or not he'd find Garmadon in time to get him out before they both drowned.

Then, he lost his footing, one foot falling down into the crushing rush of ghosts trying to escape their inevitable fate, trying to reach the exit before they were all destroyed. Morro gave a brief cry as he fell to the ground, shutting his eyes as they trampled him, trying to curl up and protect his head. It hurt—ghosts could always hurt one another, how fun.

Finally, the cries and shouts and frantic chatter died down and Morro looked up. The ghosts had passed, and were vanishing off in the distance in a cloud of green. Morro's eyes were wide as he quickly scrambled to his feet and went on running through the realm's bleak scenery. It was green, wispy, and darker than usual, as though the entire realm knew of its impending doom—but that was only natural. The realm was the Preeminent. The Preeminent was dying. Of course she knew. Morro shivered a bit, wondering what it felt like to be engulfed in water. Just the little that he'd felt had burned—the places where drops of water had hit were still burning, albeit only slightly.

He pressed onward. Now, he was near the place where the Preeminent's audience chamber was. A shiver running down his spine, Morro avoided that particular corridor. If Garmadon was likely to be anywhere, it would be down in this part of the realm, this endless maze of claustrophobic tunnels, all a deep purple in color. It was almost like they were closing in on Morro as he ran. He almost shut his eyes. But he didn't—he kept them open so he would catch any sign of Garmadon.

Morro hadn't missed the Cursed Realm. Despite having lived there for so many years, far more than he'd lived in Ninjago, he still counted the latter as his home. This land of darkness and whispers and ghosts and death... it had never really felt like home to him. Perhaps that was why, in the end, he had chosen to forswear his loyalty. Maybe it was because he was easily influenced. Morro wasn't sure. But he did know that he was glad this place was being destroyed.

Now, if only he could find a way to get out before that happened.

Morro rushed forward, and then abruptly halted—he'd hit a dead end. He swallowed hard, turning a circle. Every moment, he expected to hear the tell-tale rush of water... the one that would tell him he'd failed. The one that would tell him that soon, he'd be gone forever. What would even happen to him then?

Morro felt his eyes stinging again. He didn't want to die. He hadn't even really had a chance to live. All of his life had been spent trying to become the green ninja, and now he had a chance to make something else out of his life... to find a new goal, one that he would actually be able to accomplish.

He turned to head back the way he'd come, and ran for a few feet, then turned the other way. It was all dark—the last of the glowing lights had vanished from above the corridors. The Preeminent was dying. That meant the flood would be here any minute. Morro had failed... he'd tried, but he'd failed. He'd been too late. Maybe he should just escape the realm while he could... he had the crystal...

The Crystal.

Morro's eyes quickly drifted to his hand. No! He'd dropped the Realm Crystal! Where had it gone, how hadn't he noticed that? Frantically, he started running again, searching for any slight glow of blue that would tell him where it was. He had to find the Crystal, he had to escape! He didn't want to die, and he'd tried his best... But he couldn't find it. No matter where he looked, he just got more and more turned around. The corridors were dark. There was no sign of the crystal. Finally, Morro just tripped over his own feet, tumbling, and then trying to get up but failing miserably.

The ghost collapsed to his knees, a choked sob escaping him. His face burned from the tears but he ignored them. He'd be in a lot more pain soon enough. It was all over. He'd lost the Realm Crystal. He couldn't find Garmadon. He'd never get out of here in time—he didn't even know where he was. He didn't know what to do anymore. So, like the child he still was, he tucked his knees against his chest and cried.

Out of the corner of his eye, suddenly, Morro caught a glimpse of a large chamber. There was still a faint glow there, and... was that a form silhouetted against the wall?

Suddenly, he gasped and jumped back to his feet, gripping the Aeroblade which he still held tightly. He ran to the top, then down the slope. The man had changed a lot since Morro had last seen him. He'd aged considerably, his hair turning to a dark grey, face wrinkled... but it was definitely the same man that had offered him a night and betrayed him as he'd slept so many years ago. Morro swallowed hard. He hated this man... all of this was his fault, he'd cursed Morro... but he was Lloyd's father. Morro had harmed Lloyd almost as much as Garmadon had hurt him. He had to do this to gain the green ninja's forgiveness. Morro threw the aeroblade.

There was a _shhhiiing_ and a gasp as the blade, glowing a range of blues and greens, sliced through the pillars. As Morro had suspected, it cut right through them—the Preeminent, like Ghosts, couldn't stand deepstone. He reached up and caught the blade, running forward and slicing through the other pillar.

Garmadon crashed to the ground, weak, and lay limp for a moment before slowly picking himself up, rubbing his still-chained wrists—the chains would have to be taken care of later. He seemed thin and weakened, his clothing torn, his robe gone—that was on Lloyd, and how he'd gotten it off was a mystery to Morro. Around his waist was tied a bright green jacket. Lloyd's, from the battle. Morro swallowed slightly.

"Wh-what..." the former dark lord stammered, looking up at Morro's slightly glowing form. "I know you... you're..."

Morro shook his head quickly. "You can talk about that later. Right now... the water ninja drowned the Preeminent. The Cursed Realm is being destroyed. It's going to flood any minute now. We need to escape, and fast, if you ever want to see your son again."

Garmadon seemed confused and Morro stuck out his hand. "Come on! Or else we'll—"

He cut off suddenly, eyes widening in horror. There it was, the sound he'd been waiting for since he'd started down these corridors. The rush of water, flowing through the halls. The Preeminent gave a groan, and the entire realm shuddered. Morro gasped, able to see the water in the darkness, starting down the tunnel. He covered his face with his hands.

Garmadon scrambled to his feet behind him just as Morro shut his eyes, bracing himself for the agonizing, burning pain that would hit him with the wave. The rush of water filled his ears, and then it began—his feet began to burn. But it went no further. Morro gasped in surprise, opening his eyes. Garmadon had lifted him up, holding him out of the water's reach. Just the bottoms of his feet had been seared by the water, leaving the rest of his body unharmed.

"What are you..." Morro stammered shakily, looking around with wide eyes. The water only reached to Garmadon's knees, and as the man strode up the hill it got shallower, finally vanishing altogether at the crest.

"The water is likely to come in surges. We can still escape the realm," Garmadon explained to him.

"But... why did you..."

"Why did I save you?" he asked. "Because, I know you've come here to settle a debt, to right a wrong. I'm going to try to do the same. It was me that sent you here in the first place, I'm getting you out."

Morro swallowed, looking around. "Th-thank you..."

"Now, where do we go? There's no time to waste, I can get us out of these passages but after that I cannot remember," Garmadon replied, shifting Morro so that the ghost could gain a more comfortable position on his shoulders. He headed down the corridor, lit by the aeroblade that Morro still held in his hand.

Morro gave a sigh of relief. "Good... I know the rest of the Cursed Realm like the back of my hand... I got scared and confused in here when I ran through searching for you... and then I lost the realm crystal..."

He trailed off, and Garmadon didn't reply. There was another rushing sound, and another surge of water began to flow down—this one deeper. Garmadon swallowed. "I cannot hold you high enough."

Morro nodded and jumped upward, using airjitzu as the water passed below them. Garmadon staggered, but managed to keep his footing—just barely. He was no longer standing on solid ground—there was about an inch of water now lining the floor of the corridors. Luckily they were going up. Unluckily, it was rising quickly. Morro descended back down and Garmadon caught him once again, starting off at a bit of a brisker pace.

Before the next wave came, they reached the open areas. Here, chaos had returned. Water gathered in pools and flowed in rivers. Ghosts screamed as they burned to death only to reappear and go through it over and over again until finally they vanished and didn't return. Morro subconsciously clung to Garmadon's neck, staring all around him with wide eyes.

There was a massive creaking, and the walls began to collapse around him. The screams of those ghosts that had found shelter intensified, and Morro himself gave a little cry. Impulsively, he buried his face into Garmadon's shoulder as the man ran forward, narrowly avoiding being crushed as some of the tall structures crashed down nearby.

"Morro! Where is the exit?!" he cried, and it took a few moments, but the ghost finally managed to answer.

"It's... it's across this... and u-up!" he shouted. "H-hard to reach..."

Garmadon placed him on a bit of dry ground and stepped back, extending his hands. There was a faint glow, and then a black and purple dragon materialized out of nowhere. "Come!" he shouted, climbing on and extending his hand.

Morro didn't need to be told twice. He took it, climbing on behind the man.

Garmadon sent his dragon into the bleak sky. The cries and crashing faded as they rose higher and higher. Morro pressed his face into Garmadon's back, shutting his eyes, hoping that they'd escape... they were so close now...

The Preeminent gave another howl of agony and Morro yelped as he felt a bit of water splash his arm. They were going up, up, up... and then, there it was. The exit, like a yawning hole in the side of the realm. Light streamed through it as dawn broke over the foggy ocean, momentarily blinding the two as Garmadon drove his dragon straight toward it. They were here. It was over... and then... they'd made it.

In one glorious moment, they burst free. And then, a lashing tentacle sliced through Garmadon's dragon, mere meters from the churning surface of the water. Garmadon shouted as it dematerialized, dropping both he and Morro into the sea.


	7. Chapter 7: Reunions

**REVIEW RESPONSES**

 **Guest -** Lucky for you, the cliffhanger didn't last too long haha!

 **FirstFandomFangirl** \- Oh dear amirite? 3

 **thearomanticninja -** Nawwww... well, maybe... I guess he's more peaceful now... but not quite more... restful. Idk.

-o-o-o-o-o-

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

 ** _REUNIONS_**

Hurtling toward the surface of the ocean, Morro barely had time to save himself by blowing himself upward. And yet he knew he could only last so long. One gust of wind after another kept him up, but the ship was too far away to reach.

Quickly, he looked down. And then he gasped. The dragon was no more, and Garmadon crashed into the ocean. Morro's eyes widened. "No!" he yelped. Not now... not after everything... and Garmadon was going to drown after all. Why had all of that been for nothing? Why did that sentiment seem to follow Morro and haunt him wherever he went? Why did he always fail at everything he did?

In that moment of faltering, the wind master failed to see the lashing tentacle until it was too late. He gave a yelp of surprise as it wrapped around his midsection, and he turned to stare down. Even in her dying throes, the Preeminent was seeking to drag him down with her! Morro spread his fingers, narrowing his eyes in concentration as he sent a continuous stream of wind down toward the ocean, desperately trying to keep himself up. No... he wasn't going to let that happen now.

There was a slight shimmering sound, and Morro looked up to see Wu, hovering just above him on a pale golden dragon. Morro grit his teeth together, cringing as he felt his foot burning yet again as it brushed the ocean's surface.

"Morro! Take my hand!" Wu cried, gliding downward and reaching out.

Morro looked down at the ocean, then up at him, and then swallowed. If he stopped blowing, he might get dragged down before he could catch Wu's hand... but if he didn't take it... there was no way he'd be able to keep this up forever. Eventually, he'd be pulled down, he'd die.

Either way, there was a chance that Morro would die. Either way, it was likely to die. But at least if he tried to take Wu's hand it wouldn't be certain. Taking a deep breath, he sent one last powerful gust and then flung both arms upward—and missed.

"Agh!" he grunted, feeling himself pulled down, and then he stopped. Wu's hand caught one wrist and held him fast. He was strong for his age—still almost just as strong as he'd been so long ago when Morro had been just a child. He was still little more than a child, despite his age.

For a few moments, Morro felt safe. Wu had him now... just like before, Destiny had decided to let Wu save him. And then, he felt another tug. The Preeminent was sinking, and dragging him with her. There was only so much Wu and his dragon could do. Morro was shaking, feeling weak and exhausted. He started to feel as though he were getting drowsy, like his very being was being sapped...

No, no, no... not this... if the Preeminent leeched his soul too much, he'd vanish and be gone.

"S-Sensei..." he stammered weakly. "I... I can't... She's..."

He was fading. He'd be pulled under, or he'd be whisked away. There was a rush of wind and Morro shut his eyes, head slipping to one side. His arm became intangible in Wu's grasp and he slipped through. But the pressure had been relieved from his midsection—had he already died? Morro really wasn't sure. He was already dead now, he didn't know what it would feel like to die yet again.

The flapping of wings caught his attention. No, this wasn't anything like death. He wouldn't hear wings... slowly, he opened his eyes. The sun was shining, reflecting off the ocean and blinding him. The sea was passing beneath him, and... he glanced up once again. Lloyd was carrying him.

In a moment, Lloyd landed on the deck of the ship. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Can you stand?"

Morro gave a hesitant nod, wincing a little when his burned feet touched the deck's planking. Nonetheless, he managed to keep his footing. Morro glanced toward Lloyd and suddenly felt a tremble rush through him, his lip wobbling a little as he realized he'd failed. He'd tried to save Lloyd's father and failed. He hadn't deserved to be saved.

"I... I'm sorry... I wanted to... I tried..." he stammered, voice cracking a little bit. At the end of all of this, Lloyd had still lost his father for good.

Lloyd frowned a bit. "It's... it's alright. You tried. That's what matters." He reached out, gently resting one hand on Morro's shoulder. "You tried to save him... you saw something you could do to make things right, and tried to do it."

Lloyd's eyes were shimmering. It was clear he was barely holding back tears, and that made Morro feel worse. It wasn't alright. It wasn't alright at all. He didn't respond, looking away, staring at the ground, barely able to keep from crying right then and there. If Lloyd could hold his tears back, then Morro could just miserably suffer in silence.

It came as a surprise when the green ninja reached forward and pulled Morro against his chest. He was tense, and the ghost knew this was unnatural for him, and yet he still did it... why? Morro's throat worked, his eyes burned, and he started to tremble.

"I forgive you, Morro," Lloyd said quietly. "If you know what you did was wrong and you tried to fix it... that's all anyone can ask."

In a few seconds, Lloyd released him, and Morro took a step back, quickly covering his face with his hands. He choked out a sob, turning away and moving to find a corner tucked away between a pair of crates. Morro sat down there, drawing his knees against his chest, desperately trying to hold back tears. It wasn't okay... it was anything but okay. He'd had one thing he wanted to do, and he'd failed.

The ship headed toward the shore, propelled by Nya's powers. Day had fully broken now. The ninja were reuniting on the deck, and Morro didn't bother joining them. Saving Garmadon had been the last chance he'd had, and he'd blown it. He'd never be able to face them again.

Before long, they reached a place on the shore, a small inlet, where Nya brought the ship up next to a large rock. Carefully, they set down the anchor and put out a ramp. The shaken villagers slowly made their way back onto solid ground. Their village had been completely destroyed by the Preeminent. They would be struggling to rebuild their lives after this.

Once the people had all left, Wu and the Ninja followed, making their way across the plank. Kai turned to Lloyd, who was looking out at the ocean, seemingly distressed.

"Lloyd? You okay?" he asked, touching his friend's shoulder.

Lloyd glanced back at him. "Yeah... I'm fine. I just... I just wasn't really ready to let him go." He paused, looking down at his feet, and took a little breath. "Would you mind if I... had a few moments by myself?"

Kai nodded. "Of course. We're all here for you, remember that." He gave his shoulder a squeeze and then went to rejoin the rest of the ninja as Lloyd moved to sit on a rock at the water's edge. He came up next to Nya. "Great job, Sis," he told her, giving her a hug. "You saved Ninjago."

Nya turned to him and smiled. "Yeah... it was really close though. We almost didn't make it. I hate to say it, but without Morro. I don't know if I would have been able to stop her in time."

Wu gave a quick glance around at his first pupil's name, a frown creasing his face and his brows furrowing just a little bit. Where was the ghost? He glanced toward the ninja. "Where is Morro?" he asked, continuing to look around. The rest of the ninja did the same, but Morro was nowhere to be seen.

"I... I don't know," Cole frowned. "He's gone..."

-o-o-o-

Lloyd pressed his hands against his face, rubbing his eyes.

There had been enough tears shed. He'd said goodbye to his father once already, he'd cried over his loss before. And yet now it felt more permanent. As much as he'd hated to admit it, he'd still held on to the hope that Garmadon could be saved. Morro's taunts in the old pawnshop had struck home... Garmadon was in the Cursed Realm, yes, but the Cursed Realm was being destroyed—without the realm, there would have been nothing binding Garmadon there.

He could have had his family back. His mother, his father, and himself. They'd had such a short time together. But Lloyd wasn't alone—he still had his brothers, and now sister. He still had his uncle. He still had his mother. Maybe it was time to truly bid his father farewell, and to accept his presence in spirit, like he'd said in the Cursed Realm.

There was a crunch of dried grasses behind him, and Lloyd tensed for a moment before feeling a gentle touch on his shoulder.

"Lloyd?"

The voice was so familiar. It sent shockwaves rushing through Lloyd's body and instantly he sat up, eyes widening and tear-stained face stretching into the broadest grin ever to appear on his face. He turned around.

"Dad!"

It was Garmadon—he still had chains around his wrists, he was soaking wet, ragged, bleeding from a few cuts on his body, and looked utterly exhausted, but it was still his father. Lloyd stood up, staring at him for a few seconds. "But... the Preeminent... your dragon... you..."

He was cut off as his father quickly pulled him into a tight hug.

"I told you I would always be with you, Lloyd," he told him, his voice gentle.

Lloyd wrapped his arms around him, the tears he had been trying to hold back now pushing through and running down his cheeks. "I can't believe you're here... I can't believe you survived... everything is going to be alright now..."

Garmadon smiled tiredly, hugging his son close. "Yes... it is," he said quietly.

"Brother?" Wu's shocked voice came as the others came upon the reunion.

Lloyd looked up, grinning. "He came back," he still barely believed it himself. They all gathered around, and Wu stepped closer.

"Brother, can you ever forgive me for the way I treated you when I found out about the letter?" he asked, and Garmadon offered a small smile, moving to hug his brother as well.

"Of course, you've already been forgiven."

-o-o-o-

On top of a hill, not too far away, a small dark shadow paused and watched this, invisible to the ninja. Morro had seen Garmadon climb onto the shore and paused in shock. He'd survived... so Morro hadn't failed. For a moment, he'd nearly moved forward and joined them.

But then, he'd seem Lloyd and Garmadon embracing. Lloyd was truly happy... and with Morro's history with him, he knew that his return might lessen that happiness. Lloyd's entire being seemed to glow, and Morro wasn't going to do anything to stop it. Lloyd deserved this after everything the boy had been through in his short life.

And then, the ninja, Wu, and Misako had returned. All nine of them stood around one another, celebrating their victory, and the return of Lloyd's father. And somehow, Morro just knew. He knew that they belonged together. And he knew that he didn't belong with them. Not with who he had become. He had too much of a debt, he'd done too much harm. He'd never be accepted, and they looked... they looked so perfect just the way that they were now.

He stayed where he was for a moment, and then as they all made to return to higher ground, Morro turned away. His eyes rested on the horizon. He'd been given another chance at life. Maybe this time, he'd be able to use it to make something better out of himself. He'd spent his past life in its entirety striving to gain a title he knew now that he'd never have. Now, he was free from the Preeminent's commands. He was free to be his own person. He was still a ghost, but at least now he could do his best to undo as much of the damage he'd done as he could.

And so, as the ninja began a new chapter of their lives, Morro began a new chapter of his own. He walked away from every trace of his past lives, and didn't look back once.


	8. Epilogue: Undrowned

**EPILOGUE**

 ** _UNDROWNED_**

In the dark recesses of the drowned Cursed Realm, a pale blue, softly glowing crystal bobbed through the streams of tepid water. It spun around, casting a faint light which reflected off the greenish water and the slimy, dark walls. The screams of the ghosts began to die down as more and more vanished for good. The Cursed Realm had sunk beneath the waves. It was only a matter of time before every last trace of it was gone, save for the destruction the Preeminent and the ghosts left behind.

The crystal continued its gentle path, floating quite calmly in contrast to the dark chaos that was surrounding it. It tipped and bobbed up in down as the currents swirled, carrying it ever upward toward the high and distant ceiling, weaving it along paths through the tops of mountains, all that was now left that hadn't been submerged by the churning, fatal flow.

It bumped along the edges of the peaks, shifting, reflecting light—what light is uncertain—and seeming far brighter than it actually was due to the darkness of the dying realm.

Finally, the currents washed it up into a nook, and there it stayed, propped up in a dip inside the rough terrain of the mountain.

The steps that hurriedly approached it were utterly silent, as was the hand that lifted it from the ground, but there was a brief hiss of pain as the wetness stung the ghost's hand. In its faint light, one could see a small group that had gathered atop the tallest peak, still edging above the churning waters as the others were engulfed in their flow.

The ghost held the Crystal aloft, taking advantage of the faint bit of light.

"We are the last remnant of the ghost army, of the entire Cursed Realm. But that doesn't mean we will be weak. They will all pay for what they've done. We may not finish what Morro started, but at least now, we can be free to get revenge."

The Realm Crystal flared, and a portal opened, swirling above them like a vortex—no, like a life ring tossed to a drowning swimmer. The group of ghosts passed through, and then the portal closed.

Seconds later, the mountain on which they stood had been covered up, and the Preeminent sank to the bottom of the sea, to fade from memory.

-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Author's Note: And so, the second book of the series draws to a close. I know this was shorter than Corruption, but since the entirety of the story takes place in one day, that seems to make sense. I also thoroughly believe that season five should have ended like this rather than with my soul being ripped out (soul leech, anyone? thanks, Hagemans, are you guys the Preeminent's reincarnations or something? jk of course).**

 **I also know that this epilogue is like a Marvel end credits scene and completely evil. No worries. There are four more books after this one already planned out- this plot will be continued in one of those. Not saying which one.**

 **The next book in the "Morro's Path" series will be titled "Evolution". I'm not sure exactly when it'll be finished, but you can likely expect the first few chapters within the next week. Stay tuned, and thank you so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **-Kyrie**


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